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Explain what role women had in Nazi society. Return to Chapter... - India And The Contemporary World – I
Explain what role women had in Nazi society. Return to Chapter 1 on the French Revolution. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the role of women in the two periods.
Role of Women in Nazi Society:
In Nazi society, women were seen as radically different from men. Their primary role was to be good mothers and rear pure-blooded Aryan children. They were expected to maintain the purity of the race, keep distance from Jews, look after the home, and teach Nazi values to their children. They were given awards (like the Cross of Honour) for bearing many children but were punished if they deviated from the prescribed code of conduct.
Comparison with Women in the French Revolution:
In the French Revolution, women were active participants. They led marches (like the march to Versailles), formed political clubs, and demanded equal political rights, such as the right to vote and hold office. They fought for liberty and equality.
In contrast, Nazi society strictly confined women to the domestic sphere. While French women fought for rights and a public role, Nazi women were stripped of rights and told that their only duty was motherhood and racial purity. Unlike the progressive demands of French women, the Nazi ideology was regressive and reduced women to mere instruments for producing children for the state.